Tọlá Belva

This past weekend, I spent a few hours doing something that wasn’t particularly exciting but was desperately needed: decluttering my closet and my children’s closets.

Pile after pile, I sorted through clothes that no longer fit, shoes that had been outgrown, and items that had quietly taken up space for far longer than they should have. Some pieces brought back memories. I found outfits my daughters once loved and clothes that reminded me of seasons of life that now feel distant.

As I folded, sorted, and filled donation bags, a thought came to mind.

Life has a way of filling up when we’re not paying attention.

Closets do. Homes do. Hearts do.

We hold onto things because they were useful once. Because they remind us of a memory. Because we think we might need them again someday. And before we know it, we’re surrounded by things that no longer fit who we are or where we’re headed.

Motherhood has taught me this lesson over and over again.

One day you’re buying clothes for a toddler, and before you know it, you’re packing them away because your child has outgrown them. Every stage arrives, stays for a little while, and then moves on. As mothers, we spend so much time helping our children grow that sometimes we forget that we are growing too.

The truth is that growth often requires release.

We cannot make room for new experiences while clinging tightly to everything from the past. We cannot fully embrace the next chapter if our hands are full of things that no longer belong in this one.

And I’m not just talking about clothes.

Sometimes it’s old disappointments.

Sometimes it’s guilt.

Sometimes it’s friendships that have run their course.

Sometimes it’s expectations we placed on ourselves years ago that no longer make sense for the life we’re living today.

Just as an overcrowded closet makes it difficult to find what you actually need, an overcrowded mind and heart can make it difficult to recognize what truly matters.

There was something satisfying about watching those donation bags fill up. Not because I was getting rid of things, but because I was creating space.

Space to breathe.

Space to appreciate what remains.

Space for what comes next.

I think many of us underestimate the power of letting go. We view release as loss when sometimes it’s simply making room for something better.

The older I get, the more I realize that not everything is meant to be carried forever.

Some things served their purpose.

Some seasons taught their lesson.

Some chapters deserve gratitude, not permanence.

So if you’ve been holding onto something that no longer fits your life, maybe this is your reminder that it’s okay to let it go.

You don’t have to carry everything into your next season.

Sometimes the most beautiful thing you can do for yourself is make room for what’s ahead.

And sometimes, that lesson begins with cleaning out a closet.